Friday Financial Five – January 2nd, 2015
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Friday, January 02, 2015
Dan Forbes, GoLocalWorcester MINDSETTER™
The start of the employer mandate
Companies with 100 or more employees will be required to provide insurance for seventy percent of their employees or pay a fine. With most large companies already providing health insurance, the major change may be the time, effort and money going into documenting and corresponding with the government to prove compliance. There is also a continued effort to change the law’s definition of what constitutes full time employment.
The myRA option
Employees that don’t have a retirement plan at work may take advantage of the myRA option through the federal government. This account is a Roth IRA, meaning there’s no deduction for contributions but distributions come out tax free. There’s no cost to open the account and it’s tied to the individual, so it’s portable for those workers that change employment. The account follows the Roth IRA rules, so there are income limitations. The investment in the account generates U.S. Treasury bond interest, so there is no market risk.
Student loans increase by $100 billion in 2014
Last year, the total amount of outstanding student loans rose by $100 billion to stand at $1.13 trillion. Roughly $800 billion of that has been loaned by the government. The Princeton Review released their latest evaluations of the best college bang for the buck. North Carolina at Chapel Hill tops the public universities while Williams heads up the private list.
Rising cost of renting
The housing crisis benefitted landlords that were able to withstand the storm. Bloomberg reports that renters paid $441 billion in 2014, over a $20 billion increase. Foreclosures and employment constraints have led to a decrease in home ownership. Landlords have taken advantage of tight inventory to push rent demands skyward, a trend that should continue in 2015.
More payouts for Madoff victims
Six years after the massive Ponzi scheme was first uncovered, the most recent settlements for the victims of Bernie Madoff will push the recovered funds to over $10 billion. Trustee, Irvin Picard, has settled over 1100 accounts, including recent payouts of $642 million. The recovered funds account for approximately 60% of the $17.5 billion in principal lost by Madoff clients.
Dan Forbes is a regular contributor on financial issues. He is a CFP Board Ambassador. He leads the firm Forbes Financial Planning, Inc in East Greenwich, RI and can be reached at [email protected].
Related Slideshow: Massachusetts Business Rankings
See how Massachusetts stacked up.
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WalletHub
Massachusetts has 2015's 28th highest insurance premium penalties for high risk drivers, according to a WalletHub report.
Mass is behind Colorado and New Mexico who come in at 26 and 27 spots respectively while Mass is ahead of Tennessee and the District of Columbia who rank 29 and 30 respectively.
Massachusetts ranks 14th overall in the category of DUI conviction annual premium increase with an amount of $756.
Massachusetts ranks 20th overall in the category of speeding over 20 mph annual premium increase with a total of $261 while ranking 21 overall in the category of two accidents annual premium increase with a total of $1,364.
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WalletHub
Massachusetts has been ranked as the 5th most eco-friendly state in the country, according to a recent study by WalletHub.
Mass ranks tenth in environmental quality and fourth in Eco-Friendly Behaviors landing them in 8th overall.
Mass is behind Minnesota and New York who are in the fourth and third spots respectively, and in front of Washington and New Hampshire who come in at the six and seven spots.
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The Economist
Small Business Friendliness Grade: D+
The Economist grades states on an A+ to F grading scale for its small business climate. Massachusetts ranks near the bottom of the nation, joining New Mexico and New York in receiving D+ grades. 9 states scored worse than a D+ in the Economist rankings.
Overbearing bureaucracy and excessive licensing is stifling small business in America.
Read More About The Economist Grade Here
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CNBC
#25 CNBC
CNBC ranks each state in cost of doing business, economy, technology and innovation.
Massachusetts' unemployment rate as of May 2014 was 5.6 percent. The state added 9,100 jobs in the month of May.
Read More About CNBC Ranking Here
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Forbes
#13 Forbes
Forbes ranks each state in business costs, economic climate, and growth prospects.
The most damning in the commentary:
Massachusetts’ business costs, including labor, energy and taxes, are the highest of the 48 contiguous states—only Hawaii is higher—at 20% above the national average.
Read More About Forbes Ranking Here
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ChiefExecutive.net
#47 ChiefExecutive.net
ChiefExecutive.net ranks each state in taxations and regulations, workforce quality, and living environment.
The most damning in the commentary:
Taxation and regulation are always the key barometers. Massachusetts and Oregon are the worst.
Read More About ChiefExecutive.net Ranking Here
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Wallet Hub
#10 Wallet Hub
Wallet Hub ranks each state in ROI rank, state tax rank, and overall government services.
Massachusetts ranked #49 in worst roads and bridges, but ranked #7 in overall government services.
Read More About Wallet Hub Ranking Here
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ALEC
#41 ALEC
ALEC ranks each state in economic performance and outlook.
Although Massachusetts ranked low in economic performance, a forward-looking forecast is based on the state’s standing in 15 important state policy variables. Some of these variables include top marginal personal income tax rate and sales tax burden.
Read More About ALEC Ranking Here
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Kauffman Foundation
#29 Kauffman Foundation
Kauffman Foundation ranks each state in entrepreneurship.
Entrepreneurial activity generally is highest in Western and Southern states
and lowest in Midwestern and Northeastern states.
Read More About Kauffman Foundation Ranking Here
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Free Enterprise
#18 Free Enterprise
Free Enterprise ranks each state in performance, exports, innovation + entrepreneurship, business climate, talent pipeline, infrastructure.
Massachusetts's reputation as a hotspot for science and technology endures in this year's rankings. The commonwealth is a center for STEM jobs and university research and development, ranking 4th and 2nd, respectively, in those two categories. It also ranks 6th as a center for high-tech establishments. Massachusetts is taking aggressive steps to bolster economic activity with high-impact university-industry R&D projects and new tools for tech-based startup companies.
Read More About Free Enterprise Ranking Here
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